Why are you still single?

I don't know many women (young, middle age or older) who are above or beyond the desire to have someone special in their life. I completely agree with the author about singleness being the exception to the rule, not the standard.  Praying for all those (male and female) who desire to be equally yoked with a godly mate.  Seek HIM first...let the glorious love and passion of our Lord consume, motivate and fill you as you wait patiently (hopefully) on His provision and timing. ~ Melissa

Courtesy of Sheconsiders.com by Olivia

Are you ‘that girl’? Are you pretty, smart, a great cook, funny, sweet and godly? Are you happy, confidant and skilled? Have you spent your entire life dreaming of the calling? Are you ready? Are you ready to fall in love? Ready to plan that dream wedding? Ready to start a family, to be a wife, a mommy?

Are your friends marrying off? Does it seem like the streams of wedding invitations, engagement announcements and new courtships are never going to end? Do you smile, get excited with them as they tell you every detail of their romance, all the while wondering what is wrong with you? Why can’t this be me?

You don’t want to be one of those girls, chasing down a guy like a some sort of game. But you’re tired of watching all the godly guys you know act like 13 year old goofs. The godly men aren’t stepping up, the ungodly are well… ungodly. What’s a gal to do?

                                    Do you ask yourself over and over “Where is my Darcy”?

Are you starting to feel like you are called to singleness? Well, chances are that you are not, since those called to true singleness are few and far between.

You are single for one of these three reasons:

1.) He isn’t ready yet.

Do you honestly believe God is working all things together for your good? Maybe your husband is still being shaped for you. Maybe God is using him to accomplish something for the kingdom, maybe he’s laying the foundation for the mission the two of you will be accomplishing together. Trust that the God of the universe will bring him to you when he is ready. Do you not trust that the God who brought Ruth to Boaz, Issac to Rebekah, my Dad to my Mom and Prince Albert to Queen Victoria, can easily bring your Darcy to you when it is time?

“See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it,

until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts…”

James 5:7

2.) You aren’t ready yet.

Maybe God is working out something in you. Maybe He wants to develop your character further. Maybe there is someone who needs you more right now. An orphan? A widow? Perhaps He wants you to trust Him deeper.

What if He wants you to fall in love with Him first?

Perhaps an essential part of your training, for the mission you will be given to accomplish with your husband, isn’t done yet…

such as learning patience. 

3.) He doesn’t have your heart.

Prov. 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” The hope of being someone’s someone, deferred with every passing glance, unreturned text and unstarted conversation. With those missed opportunities comes that feeling in your heart, that heartsickness, making you feel less desirable, less wanted, just… less.

Perhaps the reason God hasn’t brought Darcy to you just yet, is simply this:

He wants to be your hope. He wants you to be His bride, and for that to be enough for you. To find your ‘wholeness’, your ‘true love’ in Him.

He wants you to know that He found you desirable enough to die for… that you are His.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

Jer. 31:3

Wait on God. Wait for that which is perfect, true, pure, that which is meant for you according to His will. He is faithful. “The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.” (Ps.145:13) He hasn’t forgot about you. Trust Him.

                                               The best is yet to come.

Homemade Sunscreen Bars

Courtesy of Wellness Mama

I’ve had fun lately creating a lot of different varieties of lotion bars. I started with the basic recipe and realized that the options were truly endless for variations.

Another of my favorites so far is the sunscreen bar!

It’s basically a bar version of my homemade sunscreen, and it avoids all the chemicals and potential carcinogens in regular sunscreen. It’s also easier to apply, since it is in a bar (use it almost like soap) and easier for kids to do themselves. I would recommend keeping it in the cooler if you take it to the beach, because it will start to get soft when the temperature hits the high 80s, but it will store well at room temperature.

I’d also encourage experimenting with how much coverage you want based on how much Zinc Oxide you add to the recipe, as this will be a smoother and thinner (and more waterproof) coverage than the basic sunscreen recipe.  When possible, it is also important to spend some time in the sun without sunscreen for vitamin D production and there are some supplements and high nutrient foods that will help you avoid burn when you don’t use sunscreen.

Sunscreen Bar Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut oil (I get mine here)
• 1 cup shea butter, cocoa butter or mango butter (or a mix of all three equal to 1 cup)
• 1 cup beeswax (can add an extra ounce or two if you want a thicker consistency, which leaves less lotion on the skin when used)(I get mine here)
• 2 tablespoons (or more) of Zinc Oxide (available online or in many stores on the diaper aisle, just make sure it is pure zinc oxide- For those concerned about contaminants or nano-particles, this version has larger particles)
• optional: Vitamin E oil to preserve. I added 1 tsp vitamin E oil for  this recipe made with 1 cup of each ingredient)
• optional: a few drops of vanilla or essential oil for scent (do not use citrus oils!)

How to Make:

Combine all ingredients (except zinc oxide and essential oils if using) in a double boiler, or a glass bowl over a smaller saucepan with 1 inch of water in it.

Turn the burner on and bring water to a boil. Stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth:

Remove from heat and add the zinc oxide powder and  essential oils.

Gently stir by hand until essential oils are incorporated.

Carefully pour into molds or whatever you will be allowing the lotion bars to harden in. I used these silicon baking cups, though any mold would work. This recipe exactly filled 12 silicon baking cups when I made it.

Allow the lotion bars to cool completely before attempting to pop out of molds. These could be made in different shaped molds for different holiday gifts (hearts for valentines, flowers for Mother’s day, etc) or made in a square baking pan and then cut into actual bars.

They can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge or freezer for longer term storage. Keep below 80 degrees or they will melt! Adjust coverage to your needs and be careful not to burn while determining how long you can spend in the sun with these.

It is also important to protect your skin internally by making sure that your body has the nutrients it needs to avoid burning, even when you don’t use sunscreen.

About this time of year, I start taking a specific regimen of supplements that help reduce inflammation and improve sun tolerance. The supplements I take are:

• Vitamin D3 (I take about 5,000 IU/day)- Emerging evidence shows that optimizing blood levels of Vitamin D can have a protective effect against sunburn and skin cancer
• Vitamin C (I take about 2,000 mg/day)- A potent anti0inflammatory, and it is good for the immune system too.
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted in a cup of herbal tea per day- the Medium Chain Fatty Acids and saturated fat are easily utilized by the body for new skin formation and are protective against burning
• Fermented Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil Blend  (also great for remineralizing teeth)-Probably the most important supplement for sun protection. I take double doses during the summer and the kids take it too. Since adding this and the coconut oil daily, none of us have burned. It’s also great for digestive and oral health. (Amazon finally has the capsules back in stock)
• Astaxanthin- A highly potent antioxidant which research shows acts as an internal sunscreen. It’s also supposedly an anti-aging supplement. I don’t give this one to the kids though.

Courtesy of The Healthy Hybrid - A Life in Transition

RED Foods. The phytochemicals in red foods are carotenoids and anthocyanins. One of the most abundant carotenoid is lycopene. Lycopene helps reduce damage from free radicals in your body and it also prevents heart disease, cancer, prostrate problems, and reduces the skin damage from the sun. These red foods help memory function, urinary tract health, and makes your heart healthy.

~Plant Powered Living

15 Food To Regrow From Scraps

Courtesy of The Healthy Hybrid - A Life in Transition

"Various plants (in no particular order) that you can regrow from the food you already have! Woot! Way to reuse and recycle! I constantly have green onions and celery growing. (And potatoes/sweet potatoes but that just because they decided to do that in my pantry) Do you guys regrow any of your food?"

 

Apples- http://www.ehow.com/how_2135774_grow-apple-seeds.html

Tomatoes- http://www.ehow.com/how_5581958_grow-tomatoes-fresh-tomato-seeds.html

Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes- http://www.gardenguides.com/117543-plant-cuttings-potatoes.html

Green Onions- http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/how-to-grow-green-onions-indefinitely.html
http://tipnut.com/nifty-food-plants/

Leeks- same technique as green onions

Carrot Tops- http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/children-in-the-garden/grow-carrot-tops.htm

Pineapple- http://www.rickswoodshopcreations.com/Pineapple/pineapple.htm

Romaine Lettuce- Same technique as celery

Cabbage- Same technique as celery

Celery- http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/growing-celery-indoors-never-buy-celery.html

Avocado -http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2009/09/09/how-to-grow-an-avocado-tree-from-an-avocado-pit/

Lentils- http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/02/19/how-to-grow-sprouts/

Pumpkin- http://pinterest.com/pin/98375573080950437/

Ginger- http://www.gardenswag.com/2011/12/5-foods-you-can-grow-from-kitchen-scraps/

Garlic- http://www.gardenswag.com/2011/12/5-foods-you-can-grow-from-kitchen-scraps/

Bonus: Bok Choy - http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/how-to-regrowing-bok-choy.html

Get Rid of Ants Solution

This is a recipe for getting rid of those pesky ants that come every spring and summer. Mix up the solution, pack cotton balls in a jar cover, put the solution on and they will be gone.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons boric acid
3 cups warm water

Directions:
1. Mix the sugar and boric acid well.
2. Add the warm water slowly, mixing all the while so it won't be too lumpy.
3. Store in a jar until ready to use.
4. When ready to use, put cotton into the top of a jar lid to fill it and then saturate the cotton to the top.
5. Place it in the location where it is needed.
6. Note: This solution will keep for a long while. A good technique is to drip a drop or two over the edge of the lid to rest on the counter so the ants will find the solution sooner. It sometimes takes a little while for them to find it, but find it they will. When they do, do not disturb them as they drink. They will hang over the edge of the lid and drink for a while and then take it back to the nest killing the colony. Almost overnight they will be gone.




Courtesy of: Food dot com.